Packing fabric



Aug. 20, 1935. F. J. REUTER PACKING FABRIC Filed sept. ze, 1928 M, mm WHmm J n v cohesion.

Patented Aug. 20, 1935 UNITED STATES voi-"riot:

to Packmat Corporation Application september 26,1928,I seriai No.308,381 `1 claim. (015154-455) My invention relates to p-ackingmaterialsfor stuffing' boxes and, more particularly, to packing fabrics. y

`A good packing material should possess as'great ainobility of itsconstituent parts as it is possible to provide forit without destroyingthernecessary cohesion. Loosexpacking, `.while mobile, is lacking incohesion. On the other hand, packing fabrics, as made today, Whether insheet form or ribbons, are closely wovenand, therefore, are devoid ofmobility although possessing the necessary In acopending application,`Serial No. 204,450, which has beenissuedas Patent No. 1,847,262, datedMarchi, 1932, I have disclosed a new packi ing `fabric in which greatmobility is combined tion ofmy invention.

with strong cohesion of the `constituent parts. The fabric, as describedinfthe aforesaid application, is a loosely woven mesh composed ofstrands of soft metaLxstrands of a refractory material,V and strands ofa'yarn, such as flax, for instance. The fabric is impregnated with asuitable lubricant.l 1-V u As I stated in my former application; I have`obtained satisfactory 'results in some cases where the flax was omittedfrom the mesh. The present application is concerned with this modifica-Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan View of afabric embodyingmy invention, in sheet form. Figures 2 and `3 are plan views of thisfabric after it has been stretched, respectively, in the longitudinaland in the transversal directions. Figure 4 is a plan View of a fabricmade in accordance With my invention but differing from the one shown inFigure 1 in that the strands are lnot continuous, Figure 5 is a planview of the same fabric formed into a, gasket of irregular shape.Figures 6 and 7 are, respectively, a top Viewl and a cross section of asimilar fabric in tubular form. Figure 8 is a plan view of anothermodication of my invention. Figure 9 is a detail .showing one of thestrands of the fabric illustrated in Figure 8, enlarged.

In Figures 1 to 7, the fabric is a mesh comp-rising strands I, of a softmetal, such as lead,

are inclinedto the border lines a, a', b, of the sheet, Iat `an angle,corresponding to the mutual inclination` ofthe strands to one another.aWhen, as in Figure l, the strands are intermeshed at a right angle,theyjform .any angle of 45 with the border lines. Figures 2 and 3`clearly show `how the inclination of the strands to the border `lineschanges With the change in the mutual angle of the strands to oneanother.

v .f In the case of a tubular fabricFigures 6 and `'7, the strands formhelices at each` point of which the tangent makes'v an angle of`45 withthe axis X-"=X. Y The angle of this tangent may be varied withinwidelimits, and 45 has been adopted in the drawing merely as anillustration.

The strands may be continuous, asin Figure 1, or discontinuous, as inFigure 4. In'the case-,of a sheet or .ribbon,with continuous` strands,the strands are bent Where they meet on the border lines, at an anglecorresponding tothe angle formed by the intermeshing strands, as'explained above. Inthe case of a tubular fabric, no bending of thiskindis needed. l

The spacing of the strands must be sumcient tofperniit deformation. ofthe fabric inf orderto secure the necessary mobility. No definitefiguresI can be given to cover all cases, as the spacing depends onseveral variable factors, such as what materials are used for thestrands, whether the metal strands are solid or composed of a pluralityof filaments, or what lubricant the fabric is impregnated with. Forinstance, a metal strand composed of a plurality of filaments hasintrinsically more mobility than a solid strand, so that spacing may becloser in the former case than in the latter. Likewise, the nature ofthe lubricant may have an eiect on the spacing proportions. Forinstance, a thin lubricant, such as oil, is compatible with a somewhatcloser spacing than a thick lubricant, such as a wax, or a gum.

Instead of intermeshing the strands of metal and the strands of fibrousmaterial as separate elements, I may form compound strands 3, bytwisting metal and fibrous strands around one another, as shown inFigure 9, or by making them into braids, and then weave the mesh in thesame manner `as before but with the composite strands, as illustrated inFigure 8.

After the mesh is woven, it is placed in a vacuum tank and impregnatedwith a lubricant. For the latter I may use an oil, a Wax, or a gum; orany combination of them; or I may use any one of these lubricants,singly or in combination, with the addition of graphite.

As constructed, my fabric is easily deformable,

l fabric may be elongated, causing a correspond# ing contractiontransversally, as is illustrated 1 in FigureZ; or it may be expandedtransversally,

causing a corresponding longitudinal contrae-- tion,I as is illustratedin Figurek 3.'` `In'the case of a tube, vaxial extensionor contractionis accompaniedespectively, by 1a.,.contracton or exv pansioriulofcgthecross section. ability to expandv and to contract, characteristic of -myfabric, endows it with a plasticity Whichis lack;- ing in both, thepacking fabrics as they are manufactured today, and the variousfbr'in'sof packing, besides the advantage' "of .Ir'ly fabric] solid packingmaterials.

in possessing cohesion which a loose packing has fabric is ofmoreuniformcharacter.

rone familiar with its uses-i;s^avvare,lise.very un# evenandirregular,andy liableztolcausebinding. v

A v My V,fabricis notv onlynfree :from: the. defectsv .duetohinsufcient'.mobility,..but itpossesses great purpose;

tobe ysubjectA tol the :action ofristrongcacidsjit. is l facility forautomatically :adjusting.iitselfztov For light duty, lead, tin,aluminum, or light alloys arelappropriate. Ordinarily; vlead Willlservethe QIn leases-,.Wherefthe packingzzis .likely better to usealuminum'fo'r Athe,=metalc strands;

For heavy duty; with 'high temperatures; or lhigh pressures,orfhigh'speeds, or kWhere greaterten-5 sile strength'of the...packing'is-;required,. copper should' be-used.

fl-I havev found.thatIsatisfactoryfresults are se# .cured forlvariationsinlthe proportions of metal,

portionlof 281 partsy `asbestos'v-to 100 i' parts lead;v

weight. lvaried Within 'as Wide a rangeas inthe case of lead strands.

r`.the duty to be performed. y prefer to make up vthe'lubricant of oneypart oil, lonepart'vvax orfgum,.and-two parts graphite,

Aby Weight. j This proportion, however, may be greatly varied,satisfactory results having been .packingmaterialis required,. anexcellentr formula: is'. l. part asbestos.; to'jlraltts'. Copper, byHere, again, the proportion may be si' o the selection and proportion oflubrifzcant, this,zalrso,depends on the duty to be performed. Theproportion of lubricant may vary t Y v y l from.8`% to 50% of the totalWeight of the fabric,. not, the mobility of the constituent;partsin''m'y The..mo"i bility' of the` particles ina loose packing,"fsevery" the?percentageincreasing with the heaviness of For high duty, I

theseproportions` being, "of course, approximate and flexible.

and' aWhalff-parts graphitewth only' a trace of Waxorgum, or evenWithout any. Itfmay. be

VVWell-tonote that heavy 4oil should be preferably used in making vupthe lubricant When the tem` per'atures involved are high, vvhileyfor 10Wtemperatures; light oil is more suitable." l `My fabriois'alsoadaptedifor'useas a gasket, owing to its great pliability. Such agasketris illustrated'in Figure. -It`may beformed .of a single layer'-ofthefabric, orgof. several super imposedlayers,V or it may be oftubular construction',suchgas is shovvninliguresv 6 and 7, or in vanyofthe'. many formssuitablefor the purpose andyvell known inthe art. f 2 y'A packing fabricl comprising. a. mesh ofspaced continuous strands.,inclined ,to the longitudinal direction thereof, said. strands .beinglcomposed of filaments of a soft metal and'of a brous material-'twistedaround one another. f

v AFRANCIS JEAN.REUTER..

n For light duty, I prefer to makev upthe'lubricantof one part oil andone to one l

